The Divine Inspiration of the Bible Bible Series, article 1.1

The Word of God, came from God, being inspired of Him. 2 Timothy 3:16 says it best: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” The Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, who moved holy men to speak and write His word. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21). The Scriptures are not of man; not ONE word can by the will of man. ALL came by inspiration of God. It is all of God, and reflects His purity and perfection. It contains all that God intended. Nothing is added or omitted. But note that God only uses HOLY men to transcribe His word. He does not use unsaved individuals or carnal Christians to relay His Word. (This will be covered in more detail in #??, Text Types and Translations.) These men wrote and spoke as God led them.

God wrote through many different people, including:

• Moses (Genesis – Deuteronomy)

• King David (Acts 1:16) (much of Psalms)

• King Solomon (much of Proverbs, some Psalms)

• Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, ect…

• King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel Chapter 4)

• Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James, ect.

Many failed to recognize that their own writings as sacred literature, even though they had felt the Lord’s presence and anointing on their work. God, however, in His own timing and guidance, caused all the inspired writings to be united into one volume. (This will be discussed further in #?? – The History of the Bible).

The Bible was written by were men from different time periods and backgrounds. Some were rich, some were poor. Some were kings, some were simple farmers. Some were called to full-time ministry, some only ministered part-time, and some, such as Amos, ministered only briefly. While God wrote through them, he allowed them to use their own writing styles (John and Paul especially).

Infallibly Inspired

Since God, not man, wrote the Scriptures, they are infallible, perfect, without shadow of error. The wisdom of God is greater than that of man. The Bible contains many statements that have baffled the learned for centuries, and much of these have been proven correct. An example is 2 Peter 3:10: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Scientists laughed at the notion of elements melting, until the invention of the nuclear bomb. (Many more examples of the scientific accuracy of the Bible will be examined in #2 The Bible Confirmed by History and Science.) It is evident that God’s word is perfect because God is perfect. God is pure and holy and true. His Word is pure and holy and true. God cannot lie. “…God, that cannot lie…” (Titus 1:2). “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;” (Romans 3:4). God’s Word reflects his purity and truth. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Proverbs 30:5). “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.” (Psalm 33:4). God’s word is described as being pure, true, faithful, perfect, righteousness, and infallible. What does this really mean?

God’s Word is pure.

Pure is defined as:

• Not mixed with any other matter

• Free from tainting, pollution¹

The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalms 12:6)

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD ispure, enlightening the eyes. (Psalms 19:8)

Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. (Psalms 119:140)

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5)

God’s Word is pure. It contains nothing that is not from Him. It contains no filler. It contains nothing amiss or extra. While God has used men to inspire and pass it down, their sinful nature hasn’t polluted the Word of God. There is nothing in the scriptures that can rightly be said to not be the Word of God.

God’s Word is true.

True is defined as:

• Honest, having no lie or falsity

• Legitimate²

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. (Psalms 119:142)

Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth. (Psalms 119:151)

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. (Psalms 119:160)

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:17)

…And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Revelation 21:5)

The Word of the Lord is true. God’s Word is the truth. Every word of God is true. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). It is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Therefore, the Word of God is true. The Word contains no lie or falsity. (However, the Word might quote liars, such as the serpent in Genesis chapter 3. In these cases, itis true that the individual said it, but what they said wasn’t true.) The Word of God is truth.

God’s Word is faithful.

Faithful is defined as:

• True to the facts, or to an original.

• Firm in adherence to promises.

• Given with strong assurance, binding.³

All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me. (Psalm 119:86)

Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful. (Psalm 119:138)

O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isaiah 25:1)

…And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. (Revelation 21:5)

God’s Word is faithful. It is true to the originals. The promises therein will not fail; all will be fulfilled. The entirety of God’s Word is given with strong assurance that it is true and reliable. God’s Word will never let you down; it is reliable.

God’s Word is perfect.

Perfect is defined as:

• Being entirely without fault or defect, flawless

• Faithfully reproducing the original

• Lacking in no essential detail, complete⁴

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalms 19:7)

I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. (Psalms 119:96)

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)

God’s Word is flawless. Having no errors, it reproduces the originals perfectly. The Word of God is complete, it lacks nothing that God intended it to have. It has no error, it perfectly contains all that God desired.

God’s Word is righteous.

Righteous is defined as:

• Morally right

• Acting in accordance with divine or moral law.⁵

The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD ispure, enlightening the eyes. (Psalms 19:8)

Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. (Psalms 119:128)

My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness. (Psalms 119:172)

God’s Word is morally pure. The morals and values taught therein are the very morals of God. The Scriptures contain nothing amiss morally. Everything the Bible calls sin, is sin. Everything the Bible calls holy, pure, and right, is holy, pure, and right. The morals taught in God’s Word are true and correct. (This will be covered in detail later.) The Bible leads in the path of righteousness.

God’s word is infallible.

Infallible is defined as:

• Incapable of error (in defining doctrines touching faith or morals).

• Not liable to mislead, deceive, or disappoint.

• Certain⁶

The Bible never calls the Word of God infallible. However, from the previous descriptors, we can conclude that the Word of God is infallible. The Word of God is described as true, pure, perfect, faithful and righteous. What else can it be, but infallible? How can anything having ALL these attributes NOT be infallible? If something is pure, perfect, true, righteous, and faithful, it can only be described as infallible. Therefore, we can conclude that the Word of God is infallible. The word infallible is found only once in the Bible:

To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: (Acts 1:3)

Jesus Christ proved His resurrection with MANY INFALLIBLE PROOFS. Christ’s resurrections is the most important event in the entire Bible. If it is not true, the Bible is not true, and is not worth believing. The many infallible proofs of Christ’s resurrection will be covered in detail in #2 – The Bible Confirmed by History and Science. The scriptures reflect the nature of God. They are pure, holy, faithful, righteous, true, and infallible.

The Bible as the Written Word of God

Christians believe the Bible to be the scriptures, God’s written Word. However, IS the Bible the Word of God, or does it just CONTAIN the Word of God? Your answer to this question determines how you treat this book. The eight article of faith of the Mormon (LDS) church states: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”⁷ Who determines what passages have been translated correctly? Likewise, if the Bible only contains the Word of God, who determines which passages are authoritative, and which are not? Is the Bible the Word of God, or does it only contain the Word of God? To settle this issue, we turn to the Bible itself.

ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God… 2 Timothy 3:16

The apostles and early church leaders did not question which parts of scripture were the Word of God, and which parts were not. They simply believed ALL things which were written therein. The Apostle Paul believed “…ALL things which are WRITTEN in the LAW, and in the PROPHETS.” (Acts 24:14). After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, He rebuked His disciples for NOT believing ALL the scriptures, and showed them from ALL the scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:25-27

25. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Later, He told them that ALL things in the scriptures must be fulfulled:

Luke 24:44,45

44. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

Therefore, we believe the Bible to be the Word of God. It does not simply contain it; it is it. God does not hide His Word (see Deuteronomy 30:11), but makes it plain. He would not place His Word amongst uninspired words, leaving the common man guessing and doubting it’s authenticity. What if an authentic portion is mistaken as unauthentic? What if an unauthentic portion is mistaken as authentic? God inspired the writers to write, and the prophets to prophecy. He then led others to compile the books into a single volume, and spread the text around the world. Every word of Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Every word of Scripture is pure. Every word of the Bible is authentic. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Faith is the polar opposite of doubt. Faith cometh by hearing and reading the Word of God. If the Bible only contains the Word, this only creates doubt and confusion in the reader who attempts in vain to determine which passages are the inspired Word of God. And we know that “…God is NOT the AUTHOR of CONFUSION, but of PEACE…” (1 Corinthians 14:33). And if we doubt the inspiration of any portion of the Bible, are we not falling into the trap of the devil, whose “Yea, hath God said…” (Genesis 3:1) was an attack on the authenticity of SOME of God’s Words? For God had commanded Adam, saying

Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17).

Satan casted doubt on a portion of the law: “Ye shall NOT surely die…” (Genesis 3:4), and with the seed planted, the enemy added his private interpretation of God’s Word:

“For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5).

Mankind fell because we didn’t take heed unto the entire Word of God. We doubted the Word. We allowed outside sources to have equal authority with God. Creating doubt in the Word is literally the oldest trick in the book. And the consequences of falling for it are enormous. For example, the following passage relays the consequences of a man who believes a lying prophet over the Word of the Lord:

1 Kings 13:14-19, 23-24

14. And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him,Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:
17. For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
18. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
…
23. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
24. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

Therefore, God has provided us “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19) that we can believe and trust. The Bible is the Scriptures, the complete, inspired Word of God, with no additions or omissions. It will never fail us. Therefore, we consider false everything that contradicts it (see Psalms 119:128). So it being evident that all Scripture is the inspired Word of God, we must never doubt it’s authority and authenticity.

Scripture Verifying Scripture

The authenticity of some scripture passages can be internally verified, as they are quoted by other passages as scripture. For example: Acts 1:16 mentions scripture “…which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake…” Many of David’s Psalms are quoted as scripture in the New Testament. New Testament writers calling Old Testament scripture is especially seen in prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament (NT) quotes many Old Testament (OT) messianic prophecies, calling the OT passages inspired scripture. A few examples include:

Christ’s virgin birth, to be named Emmanuel:

Matthew 1:18,22, 23

18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

…
22. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23. Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Isaiah 7:14.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Christ called out of Egypt:

Matthew 2:15.
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Hosea 11:1.
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

Christ betrayed by a close friend:

John 13:18
18. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

Psalms 41:9.
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up hisheel against me.

Christ resurrected from the dead:

Acts 2:31-32

31. He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (Psalms 16:10).

The table below gives several more examples of New Testament scripture referring to Old Testament passages as scripture.

However, this is not limited to OT scriptures. The Apostle Peter referred to the Apostle Paul’s writings as scripture.

2 Peter 3:15-16

15. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brotherPaul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the otherscriptures, unto their own destruction.

In saying that the unlearned and unstable are wresting Paul’s writings, and the OTHER scriptures, Peter is labeling Paul’s writings as scripture. As can be seen, even the scriptures themselves label other scriptures as scripture. There are many more examples, but these have been limited for sake of space. It can be argued that such internal evidence is weak. In #2, we will examine external evidence for the Bible’s authenticity.

In conclusion, the Scriptures are given by inspiration of God. They are “God breathed.” As God is the author, the Scriptures reflect His Divine nature. The Scriptures are pure, holy, righteous, faithful, perfect and infallible. Every word of the Scriptures is inspired, there is no word in the Bible which is not inspired. Therefore, we can be confident in every word of the Bible, not doubting, that we may truly live by every word of the inspired Word of God.

How you treat this book will reflect how you view this book. Is it written by God, or by man? Is it fully inspired, or partially inspired? Beware how you treat this book. Your eternity depends on it.

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